A Christmas Peril
by Alex Glaven
Summary: *Akiko* Nothin's better than a clueless Lemurian and a haunted Venus Adept! The sequel to House of Horrors!
1. A Thunderstorm in December

I'm back, with my Christmas special! Well...one of my Christmas  
Specials! There are going to be three, yes, three Christmas special fan  
fics coming your way this season!   
Garet: It's a good thing you've already finished one of them.  
Yeah, too bad it's not this one. Well, I was going to start this later,  
but I was in the mood to write "horror" so I had to do it! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 1: A Thunderstorm in December  
  
Outside, thunder boomed, and a flash of lightening sort of lit up  
Isaac's room.  
  
Isaac wasn't particularly fond of storms. The last huge storm to  
hit Vale had forced him to take shelter in the House of Horrors with his  
friends. It was all a ploy to get them to the basement where all of Vale  
was holding a surprise Halloween...but unfortunately the ghosts of  
Saturos and Menardi had turned the entire thing into a death trap.  
  
Luckily, after surviving the many trials and...well...horrors of  
the House of Horrors, the two Mars Adepts had promised to never haunt him  
again, and Vale hadn't decided to throw a surprise Thanksgiving party,  
for which Isaac was entirely grateful. Halloween had been bad enough, he  
did NOT want to fight a bunch of decapitated turkeys.  
  
At the moment, Thanksgiving was through and overwith, and the  
Venus Adept was contemplating what to get his many friends for Christmas.  
It hadn't been so bad when it had just been him, Garet and Jenna. But  
now, besides the two Mars Adepts, there was Ivan, Mia, Alex, Picard,  
Sheba, AND Felix. He did NOT have enough money or time to buy them all  
meaningful, wonderous gifts.  
  
"I guess I'll go for the old trick," Isaac sat up on his bed.   
"I'll just buy them all candybars and put a few one-dollar bills in the  
foil. Of course...Picard and Garet will probably eat the money with the  
chocolate, knowing them. Well, Garet might not, but Picard would."  
  
Picard was a great warrior, but he definately wasn't the  
brightest crayon in the box.   
  
He knew he was being cheap, but he didn't really care. He  
searched through his stash of money, pulled out a handful of ones and  
went to ask his mom for candy bars. She usually had a big bag of candy  
stowed away, and she was very willing to give it to him because that way  
she wouldn't eat it and get fat.  
  
Just as he was about to open the door, a crash of thunder so loud  
it rattled his windows came from above, accompanied by a flash of  
lightening.  
  
He turned to the windows, and saw, illuminated by the electricity  
outside, a figure crouched on his windowsill.  
  
"ISAAC!" a booming voice called out his name. "ISAAC! OPEN THE  
WINDOW!!!"  
  
"ACK!" Isaac dived for the bed, he always kept a steel baseball  
bat leaning against the bedpost, just as it occured to him that it was  
fairly odd to have a thunder storm in the middle of December.  
  
He curled his fingers around the baseball bat, and slowly began  
advancing towards the window.  
  
When it opened and Garet sat there, completely dry, grinning.  
  
"Hey, Isaac!" if it was possible, his grin became wider, until  
Isaac took a wild swing at him with the baseball bat. "HEY! It was a  
joke! A JOKE!"  
  
"It's not funny!" Isaac yelled, glaring at his best friend. Then  
he blinked. Outside it was broad daylight, the sun reflecting off of the  
brilliantly white snow. "Hey...I thought it was storming."  
  
"Kind of!"   
  
Isaac stuck his head out of the window. Sheba and Ivan were down  
in his backyard, waving.   
  
"See, Ivan got this great idea for a joke, so we MADE it storm,"  
Sheba explained. "You can thank Picard for the thunder."  
  
Picard, who was also in the backyard, began enthusiastically  
banging on one of the many pots surrounding him. It did indeed sound  
like thunder.  
  
"I hate you all," Isaac glared at them. "Ivan, you're going to  
get it!"  
  
"Save me!" Ivan hid behind Picard.  
  
"From what?" Picard looked confused, but he normally did. Isaac  
jumped out onto the windowsill with Garet.  
  
"Isaac..." called a faint, echoing voice.  
  
"Not funny," Isaac warned.  
  
"It wasn't us," Sheba was looking around, puzzled.  
  
"Isaac..."  
  
And then the voice was gone.  
  
"That was weird," Garet shrugged. "Hey, my mom made cookies,  
wanna come over?"  
  
"SURE!" Isaac, anger promptly forgotten, agreed enthusiasitcally.  
"But I still want to know what that voice was..."  
  
"Ah, who cares?" Ivan shrugged.  
  
*********  
Yup, this is going to be fun! ^_^ Hopefully this won't be one of those  
things where I'm writing every single day and post the last chapter on  
Christmas, considering I have another one to write...  
Garet: Your plate is full.  
Yes, it is, unfortunately...T_T Anywho, review! 


	2. Cookies and Odd Voices

And I'm back with a second chapter!  
Garet: Wow, your first update in two days.  
Yeah, sorry about that, folks! I'm working on another fic for another  
website that I work on...  
Garet: Webmistresses Inc.  
Yup. Anyway, here's the story!  
  
Chapter 2: Cookies and Odd Voices  
  
Garet's mom was an amazing cook, therefore she made amazing  
cookies. Warm soft and full of gooey chocolate chips. When they were  
fresh from the oven they were divine, and Garet's mom was just barely  
pulling the last batch out when they all burst through the door.  
  
"Oh, hello, sweetie!" Garet's mom smiled at him. "Do you all  
want cookies?"  
  
"Yes please!" they chorused, except for Picard, who was staring  
out of the window.  
  
"Alright," she smiled, and began handing out cookies. "One for  
you and one for you and..."  
  
She came to Picard, who was still transfixed with the window.   
"Would you like a cookie, dear?"  
  
Picard didn't say anything.  
  
"Don't worry about him, mom," Garet assured her. "They don't  
have any glass in Lemuria, he's still trying to figure it out."  
  
"Oh...right..."   
  
"There was a person out there," Picard was still staring at the  
window.  
  
"A person?" one of Jenna's eyebrow's rose.   
  
"Yup. They were floating."  
  
"Isaac..." a faint voice said.  
  
"Not this again," Isaac groaned.  
  
The faint voice persisted. "Isaac..."  
  
And once again, it was gone.  
  
"Okay, floating people, strange voices saying 'Isaac', I think  
this is a bad case of dejavu from the House of Horrors," Garet growled.   
"D'ya think Saturos and Menardi are behind this?"  
  
"I doubt it, no hordes of zombies, no Hall of Mirrors, and they  
promised to leave us alone, anyway," Isaac replied.  
  
"We're talking aout Saturos and Menardi here, Isaac," Garet  
reminded him.  
  
"Ghosts can't lie," Ivan said quickly.  
  
"It's true," Sheba backed him up. "Only living things lie, they  
were dead, so they couldn't lie."  
  
"Still seems might fishy to me," Garet crossed his arms.  
  
And yes, Vil, this will be following the same vein of stupid horror  
comedy as "House of Horrors". So yes, Picard will be stupid.   
And Ice Angel, I actually don't know what Picard is like. It was just  
rather humorous (to me, at least) to make him a complete moron. All I  
know about Picard is that he's in prison when you first see him in The  
Lost Age. Hey, Elena may have the Japanese version, but the only  
Japanese word I can read is "Alex". (Elena: I understand Kraden too!   
Or I assume it's Kraden at least...)  
Garet: That's sad.  
Oh, shut up. Anyway, review! Maybe someday eventually I'll get Isaac  
back...  
~*Somewhere far away*~  
Kagome: Do you think he's cursed?  
Inu Yasha: Always a possibility.  
Isaac: ::thinking to himself "Y'know, this whole communication thing  
would be a LOT easier if I was a Jupiter Adept...":: 


	3. The First Visible Sign of Something Weir...

Okay, I need to pull out these and maybe dust them off a bit. Sorry,  
folks! The Christmas season has yet to catch up with Akiko.  
Garet: She's in a bad mood.  
But, more is on the way! My parents are leaving for Hawaii for  
tomorrow, and leaving the house to yours truely! You can guess what that  
means!  
Garet: We're going to raid the presents?  
NO! That means lots of updates!  
Garet: Not quite as exciting.  
Anywho, enjoy!  
  
Chapter 3: The First Visible Sign of Something Weird  
  
Later that night Isaac lay on his bed, contemplating his friend's  
presents. His mother was using all of the chocolate bars in the house  
for presents to HER friends, and he had spent the majority of his money  
that afternoon buying his mother's gift (the KitchenMate4000).  
  
"Guess I could always buy them more candy bars," Isaac shrugged.   
"Well, whatever, I need to think fast. Christmas is in two days..."   
  
"Isaac..."  
  
"GREAT...I'm being haunted again..." he muttered, sitting up. A  
single ray of moonlight had escaped a gap inbetween the curtains. He was  
looking at it when a hooded figure appeared. He yelled and fell off of  
the bed.  
  
"Isaac, you obviously haven't discovered the true meaning of  
Christmas," the figure said, standing up. The hood slid off, revealing  
the face of...  
  
Jenna.  
  
"Alright, this just isn't funny," Isaac glared at her. "What are  
you trying to do, Jenna? Give me a heart attack?"  
  
"I'm not Jenna," she glared at him. "I'm the ghost of Christmas  
Past!"  
  
"WHAT?!"   
  
"Oh, please," Ghost Jenna sighed. "Here, take my hand."  
  
"Um...okay..."  
  
Isaac took Ghost Jenna's hand, and suddenly they were above the  
rooftops, soaring through the air, over the village of Vale.  
  
"AAAAAAAAGH!"  
  
"WHAT?!" Ghost Jenna looked around wildly. "What is it? Wild  
Griffins? Ice Gargoyles?"  
  
"I-I-I-I-"  
  
"WELL?!"  
  
"I'm afraid of heights!" Isaac grabbed onto Ghost Jenna, who was  
surprisingly solid.  
  
"Figures," Ghost Jenna muttered. "Boy, you're LUCKY I don't need  
to breathe."  
  
"Get me down!" Isaac wailed. "Get me down!   
Getmedowngetmedowngetmedowngetmedown!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Alright! Alright!" they were on the snow covered streets of  
Vale. "There, are you happy?"  
  
"AAAAAAAAAH! GHOST!" Isaac pointed.  
  
Ghost Jenna peered into the window he was pointing in. Inside  
was a mother, a father, and their small son opening presents.  
  
"Ghost?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.  
  
"That's my DAD!" Isaac pointed at the father. "And he's DEAD!"  
  
"You moron!" she hit him. It rather hurt, considering a ghost  
was hitting him. "I'm the Spirit of Christmas PAST. PAST. Y'know, as  
in the PAST when your FATHER was still alive!"  
  
"Oh, okay," Isaac looked into the window again.  
  
"See how happy you were?" Ghost Jenna asked. "You didn't have  
much, in fact, you were dirt poor, but you were happy! Does that tell  
you the true meaning of Christmas?"  
  
Isaac blinked.  
  
"Apparently not," Ghost Jenna muttered. "Fine."  
  
And the world went black.  
  
******  
Yup...has stupid comedy wanna be horror stuff written all over it. Sorry  
that Picard wasn't in this chapter, I know you all love him VERY much!  
Picard: You realize that they're going to rename me in the Engli-  
Silence. I don't want to think about it.  
Picard: Right...  
  
~*Somewhere far away*~  
  
Isaac: ::writing in the dirt "I am Isaac. I want to get back home.   
Where is this place?"::  
Little Hobbit Children: ::laugh at him::  
Isaac: ::sigh::  
  
~*Somewhere equally far away*~  
  
Norli: Hey, we might be getting close now...  
Kaede: ::watches Oliver Wood block another shot:: WHOO! WHAT?!  
Norli: ::shouting:: I SAID I THINK WE'RE GETTING CLOSE NOW!  
Kaede: ::also shouting:: I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU! WOW, THIS IS A GREAT  
GAME!  
Norli: WHO'S NATE FAME?  
Kaede: WHAT?! ::Harry catches the snitch:: YEAH!!!! 


	4. The Closest Thing to a Psychic Hotline

Yup, I finally got around to updating this one, too.  
Isaac: ::in split red and green that smells like pine when he writes  
"Yeah, even though Christmas was forever ago"::  
Yup. ^_^ But it's still funny, right?  
Isaac: ::in red that smells like gingerbread "It could be worse"::  
On with the chapter!  
  
Chapter 4: The Closest Thing to a Psychic Hotline  
  
Isaac woke up in his own bed, sunlight streaming through his window.   
  
"Well, THAT was creepy."  
  
"WHAT was creepy?"  
  
Isaac yelled and jumped out of bed. Well, he tried to jump out of bed,  
but unfortunately his bed was pushed up against the wall. "Ow..."  
  
Ivan gave him a funny look. "You're weird, Isaac."  
  
"I thought you were another ghost!" Isaac explained, rubbing the bump on  
his head from where he had hit the wall. "Stupid ghosts. I hate being  
haunted. And it's Christmas! It's not Halloween! Christmas is supposed  
to be a time of good cheer and stuff like that! Not being  
haunted...ow..."  
  
"A ghost?" Ivan gave him another weird look.  
  
"Yeah, I was sitting here, and suddenly a ghost appeared," Isaac  
shrugged. "It LOOKED like Jenna, but it said it was 'the Ghost of  
Christmas Past'. Must've been a dream, though."  
  
"Probably," Ivan agreed. "I noticed that ever since the House of Horrors  
incident on Halloween you haven't exactly been fond of holidays.   
Remember all of those dreams about evil turkeys around Thanksgiving?"  
  
Isaac shuddered. That wasn't something he really wanted to remember.  
  
"Evil turkeys?" Picard wandered in. "Well, that's stupid."  
  
"Look who's talking," Isaac replied dryly.  
  
Picard looked kind of confused, but he sat down on the floor and listened  
to the conversation anyways.  
  
"So, you had a dream that a ghost came to visit you...?" Ivan began.   
Isaac proceeded to tell him the entire dream, from flying above Vale to  
seeing himself with his dad in the window. After a moment of silence,  
Ivan began. "Hm...I think that we need to talk about some things. Lie  
down."  
  
Isaac did as ordered.  
  
"Now, tell me about your childhood."  
  
"We were pretty happy, poor, but happy," Isaac answered.  
  
"Aw, I predict great wealth in your future," Ivan said in a fake shaman  
voice.  
  
"Ivan, stop playing Pyschic Hotline," Isaac sat up.   
  
"But it's true!" Ivan protested. "The gods will want to make up for what  
you have lost, and you have lost much. There will be great wealth in  
your future, and girls, and houses, and-"  
  
"Great for you, now if you DON'T mind, I need to get some stuff done,"  
Isaac glared at him. "Out! BOTH of you."  
  
"What'd I do?" Picard glared at him.  
  
*****  
  
Okay, hope you all enjoyed that! I'm...off to write on something else... 


End file.
